Time announcing device



Feb. 19, 1935. M. .1. SULLIVAN 1,991,524

TIME ANNOUNCING- DEVICE Filed Jan. 21, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 M'ch? Feb.19, 1935. M; J. SULLIVAN 1,991,524

TIME ANN OUNCING DEVICE Filed Jan. 21', 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb.- V19,1935. M. J. SULLIVAN .TIME NNbiiNCING DEVICE Fil ed Jan. 21, 1532 4SheetS-Sheet 5 25221622752 J. SzzZZzMn fiatenteci Fol 19 1935 UNITED"STATES rarest. orricr.

1,991,524 TIME ANNOUNCING evice Michael Suilivan, Chicago, Ill.Applicaticn lanuary 21, 1932, Serial No. 587,875

6 Ciaims.

. This invention relates to an announcing-ma-, chine which is adaptedtofbe connected in a manner described to a standard clock and tocooperate with and be controlled'by said clock 5 to intermittentlyannounce the time at regular tervals. The announcing machine employsnovel means for intermittently moving a sound reproducing element in andout of engagement with a disc or't-he like on which the announcementshave previously been recorded in a manner similar to that used in themanufacture of phonograph records. 7

The modern tendency has been toward clocirs having musical chimes,calendars and otherdata, and my invention is particularly designed tocreate a novel machine or apparatus which is not only a clock but alsoan announcer oi the time in the exact words of the language recorded.

An important object of my invention is the provision of an announcingmachine which includes means controlled from theclock to intermittentlyrotate and stop a phonograph record or the like having recorded thereonvany matter which it is desired to reproduce.

A further object of my invention is the provision of means attachable toa standard clock and which is adapted to elevate or lower a soundreproducing element with a record, said means comprising elementsactuable and operable from 'a rotatable control board, which controlboard is in turn controlled through opening and closing switches eitherelectrical or mechanical, operable by a standard clock.

further important object of my invention is the provision, incombination with a standard clock and a sound reproducing apparatusincluding a record, of means to automatically and at the proper timereturn the sound reproducing element to the starting point on therecord.

A further object or this invention is theprovision of an apparatuscooperable with and controlled from a standard clock, which includes amotor controlled by said clock and which further comprises a controlboard rotatable by said motor and having means for vreleasably lockingsaid control board against rotation, said control board being connectedthrough'gears with a'record rotating element.

A further object of my invention is the provi sion of a clock and anapparatus in combination therewith and controlled thereby which willan?- nounce the time in words at certain desired intervals, as well asannounce in words in any language advertising material, includingslogans, prices and other matter. a

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparentfrom the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying draw!-i-ngs.

This invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings andhereinafter more fully described.

011 the drawings: V

Fig. 1 is a front view illustrating an electric clock, including a clockdial and hands,

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. l andshowing some of the interior mechanism.

Fig. 3 is an en arged perspective view showing the upper wall of the boxcontaining my mechanisin and showing the means through which areproducing element is elevated and lowered.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective View of the under side of the top walldescribed in 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken'iroin the right showing theinterior mechanism including the motor, control board, record, rotatingele ment and sound reproducing means.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary View showing a schematic constructionofthe opening and closing switch whereby the control board is releasedand the electric. circuit to the motor driving the mechanism is closed.

Fig. 7 is a top plan View showing the relative positions or the controlboard,- the record rotating element, the reproducing element, and themeans for returning the reproducing element to starting position.

Fig. 8 is a View taken from the front and showing in detail the meansfor raising and lowering the reproducing element and the record rotatingwheel. r

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail view showing the means which I employ torotate the arm on which thereproducing element is mounted to carry thelatter to starting position.

:As shown on the drawings:

'The reference numeral 19 indicates the front of a clock cabinet 10which contains sound reproducing and announcing apparatus and he. I anaperture for a clock face. The lower portion of the clock front 10 ispreferably open except for a material such as silk, which issubstantially non-resistant to sound. The ornamental front shown in Fig.1 may be made of wood, metal or composition material such as bakeliteand merely illustrates one preferred form.

A clock 13, which is preferably an electric clock but may be an ordinaryspring or weight clock, is rigidly mounted in the aperture of the frontface 10 by means of suitable brackets. The clock face 16 includes adevice of well known construction such as is used in chime clocks whichis actuated by the clockwork at regular intervals, usually every fifteenor thirty minutes. This last mentioned device has attached thereto arotata .ble shaft 14 extending outwardly from the clock cabinet, the endof which is show-n in Fig. 6.

A cam 15 is secured to the end of the shaft 14 in perpendicular positionthereto and is of a shape so as to release the turntable through meanshereinafter described and immediately thereafter actuate a switch toeffect rotation of a turntable as hereinafter described.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, a partition wall 17 is mounted in horizontalposition to support the mechanism which will be hereinafter describedand to separate the sound chamber from the remainder of the clockcabinet A sound disc plate 18 of standard construction having adownwardly extending shaft 19 is rotatably mounted on the bushing 20which in turn is secured on the supporting wall 17. v The shaft 19extends downwardly through an aperture in the wall 17 and is connectedby a flexible coupling 23 to a rotatable element of a speed reducer 21,which speed reducer is attached and driven by a motor 22 which may beelectrical or mechanical. The motor 22 is preferably secured to theunder side of the wall 17 by screws or the like. A small ring gear 24 issecured about the shaft 19 adjacent to and concentric with the rotatableplate 18. A tone arm, preferably made of metal and of the usual shapeand which comprises an angular upper elongated 7 portion, has one endswivelly mounted to permit horizontal movement thereof in a ring member26 which is securely mounted on the supporting wall 1'7, as clearlyshown in Fig. 5. A substantially U-shaped reproducing element 27,-partic uarly shown in Fig. 7, is rotatably connected with respect to thetone arm 25 through suitable interfitting annular flanges formed on theperiphery of said element and said tone arm. The reproducing element maybe conveniently moved in vertical and arcuate direction and includes avibrating diaphragm, a needle adapted to engage the sound record, andother parts which are well known in the art. The tone arm 25 with itsend ring member 26 open downwardly into a gradually enlarged soundchamber 27 which preferably extends to the front of the clock, where thesound may pass through the openings in the clock cabinet face.

Rotatably mounted on the upper reduced end of a vertical post 28 whichis secured a short distance from the bushing 20, is a control gear wheel29 of slightly smaller size than the disc plate 18. The peripheral gearwheel teeth of the control gear wheel 29 are in mesh with the small ringgear 24 and are driven thereby, the ratio between the control gear wheeland said ring gear being preferably forty to one.

An upper horizontal supporting board 30 divided in two separate sectionsand shown clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, forms an inner cover for the cabinet10 and also serves as a support for elevating and lowering mechanismwhich I will now describe. One section of said board is hinged as shownto permit convenient access to the mechanism. Relatively large apertures31 and 32 are formed a short distance apart in said board 30 and in theposition clearly shown in Fig. 3. A yoke 33 is securely mounted on theupper surface of said supporting board 30 substantially midway betweensaid apertures, and a lever 34 is pivoted thereto by means of a pinpassing therethrough at a point substantially midway between its ends.

Secured on the under side of the supporting.

board 30 at points as indicated in Fig. 4 is a pair of channel guidemembers 35 and 36 in opposed position. A frame member 37 ofsubstantially rectangular shape has its two shorter opposite sidesslidably mounted in said guide members 35 and 36. The lower end of ayoke 33 is secured by riveting or the like in the center of the upperside of the frame member 37, and the upper ends of said yoke are pivotedto the apertured end of the lever 34 as clearly shown in Figs. 7 and 8.A slidable link 39 is adapted to slide longitudinally along the lowerside of the frame member 3'7 for a purpose which will be hereinafterexplained. The slidable link -39 is connected by a plurality of metallinks 40 to the reproducing element 27. It will be apparent from 7 downvertical movement is effected intermittent- Y 1y at predetermined times.

The outerend of the lever 34 has pivoted thereto by a suitable pin, theupper bifurcated end of a rod 41. Immediately below said pivotalconnection and upon'the mounting board 17 is secured an apertured ear42. Journalled in said apertured ear is a short stud shaft 43 having onone end thereof a relatively smallpinion 45, and on its other end a cam44, asclearly shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The lower end of the rod 41 isbent to form a loop which is rotatably mounted about the cam 44.

Secured by welding or the like on the under side of the control gearwheel 29 and adjacent its periphery is a short gear segment 46 mountedin an arcuate position on said gear wheel so as to mesh with the pinion45, said gear segment being of such a length so as to rotate said pinionand connected shaft only one-half of a revolution. It will be apparentthat as said gear segment rotates said pinion, the rod 41 will be movedupwardly, and due to the action of the lever 34 the slidable frame 37and the reproducing element suspended thereon will be lowered torecord-engaging position, where it will remain until removed by acounter action which will now be described.

Mounted on the control gear wheel 29 and at substantially the same pointwith respect to the axis of said control gear wheel, is an offsetmember, the outer portion of which comprises a gear segment 47 of thesame length as the gear segment 46. It will be apparent that as thecontrol gear wheel 29 advances a predetermined dis-' tance sufficientfor the sound to be reproduced the oilset gear segment 47 will engagethe under 1 side of the pinion 45 to rotate the same 180 degrees tolower the rod 41, which in turn will cause elevation of the soundreproducing element from record engaging position. Upon such elevationand due to the slidable engagement of the ring 39 with the frame member37, the reproducing element and its needle will remain in exactly thesame position with respect to the portion of the record which hasalready been reproduced, even though the record and its supporting platecontinues to be rotated by the motor heretofore described. It will beseen that the reproducing element and its attached tone arm 25 will beadvanced in its travel along the record only while the needle of thereproducing element isin record-engaging position.

After the offset gear segment 47 has disengaged the pinion 45 the plate18 and the control gear wheel 29 will continue in their relativerotations until a downwardly extending stud 48 formed on the undersurface of the control gear wheel 29 engages the upper end of a pin 49which is slidably mounted in vertical position in a thereon an idlesprocket 55.

bracket 50 secured on the mounting board 17. As shown. in Fig. .6, asubstantially horizontal lever 51, which is pivoted intermediate itsends on a post 52 and which has one end pivoted to the lower end of theslidable pin 49, is adapted to normally hold the slidable pin 49 inupper position. A counterweight 52 is formed integral with'the oppositeend of said lever and normally holds the pin 49 in elevated positionsothat it will engagethe stud 48 to stop rotation of the control gearwheel 29 after one revolution thereof'has been completed. A controlswitch 53 of conventional type and illustrated in Fig. 6, and which mayalso be a mechanical switch, 'is adapted to open and close the circuitsupplying the electric motor 22 with current; Said control switch mustnecessarily be controlled by the clockwork and from the clock so that itmay be intermittently opened and closed to energize the motor orclockwork and cause operation of my device until one revolution of thecontrol wheel 29 has been completed. In my preferred form, the controlswitch 53 has a short outwardly extending lever which is pivoted in aposition so that as the cam 16 is rotated by the shaft 14. of theclockwork heretofore described, the switch will be opened and closedwhen the shaft 14 is rotated in counter-clockwise direction. The cam 16will close said switch immediately after it raises the counterweight 52'to release the control gear wheel 29 from locked position.

In my preferred form, a single sound record contains announcements ofthe time in words in logical order at fifteen minute intervals for atotal period of twelve hours. It will be apparent that at the end oftwelve hours the reproducing element has passed its last announcement,recorded near the center of the record, and thereforeit is necessarythat my device be so automatically operable that the reproducing elementand tone arm will be returned to starting position immediately prior tothe time when one oclock is to be announced, and the announcements for atwelve-hour period repeated. In my preferred form I employ the followingmechanism for returning said reproducing element to the beginning of therecord at the'proper time.

As shown in Fig. 7, a pair of right-angled brackets 54 are secured ashort distance apart and at points on opposite sides of the tone arm 25.Each of said brackets has rotatably mounted A link chain 56 is adaptedto be rotated about said sprockets, the links of said chain havingtransversely extending studs 57. In the preferred form of my invention Ihave shown a chain having forty- .eight links and'a corresponding numberof transversely extending studs. One of the forty-eight links has avertically extending stud 58 for a purpose which will appearhereinafter. Secured .on the under side of the control gear wheel 29 isa stud 59 which is so positioned on said gear wheel that upon eachrevolution of said gear wheel it will engage one of the studs 57 of thechain 56, which is at a point below said gear wheel, such engagementcausing the chain 56 to advance the distance of one link andone stud. Itis apparent, therefore, that if an announcement is made for eachrevolution of the control gear wheel 29, the chain 56 will have beenrotated the distance of one link, and when the control wheel has rotatedforty-eight times it will cause one complete revolution of the chain 56.The chain 56 is so positioned that when the reproducing element hasfinished the last announcement on the end of the record, the up- Wardlyextending stud .58 will engage a stud 6.0 on said tone arm to returnsaidtone .arm and reproducing element to place the needle thereof instarting position on the record. As the operation proceeds the chain 56will be advanced one link at a time as heretofore described, and untilit is again necessary to return the tone arm .to starting position. 7 vV Because the speed of rotation of the turntable 18 is comparativelyhigh, it is desirable to provide means to materially reduce its speed ofr0- tationa short interval prior to the time that the rotatable controlwheel is to be looked through engagement of the stud 48 and the movablestud l9 here'inb'efore described, thereby preventing a sudden stoppageof the control wheel '29 and consequent injury to the ring gear 24which'is in mesh therewith due to the inertia of the rotating turntable.One form of braking means is illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 and comprisesa vertical post 61 having its upper end bent horizontally such as thinspring steel and extends horizontally toward the axis of the rotatablecontrol wheel 29." A stud 63 extending downwardly from the bottom of therotatable control wheel 29 and at a point slightly in advance of thestud as, will engage the lower arm of the yoke .62 a short intervalprior to the time that the control wheel is to be locked to causefrictional engagement of the member 64 on the flange of the turntable18, thereby gradually reducing the speed of said turntable as Well asthe speed of the control wheel 29. The lower arm of the yoke 62, beingflexible, will permit the stud 63 to pass the end thereof, immediatelyafter which the control wheel will be lcckedby the stud 48 in a mannerheretofore described.

It will be apparent that the mechanism described hereinbefore forintermittently lowering and elevating the reproducing element as well asthe mechanism for stopping, locking, and releasing the control wheel 29may be displaced by well known electrical means, including solenoidenergized magnets and proper control switches operated by the clockworkof my device, and likewise, that the clock may be electrical ormechanical.

I am awarethat many changes may be made and numerous details of theinvention and construction thereof may be varied through a wide rangewithout departing from the principles of this invention, and I thereforedo not desire to limit the patent granted thereon otherwise thannecessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A time announcing apparatus comprising a housing; a motor; a controlswitch in the circuit of said motor; a record carrying turntablehorizontally and rotatably mounted therein and driven by said motor;coupling means connecting said motor and turntable; a pinion securedbelow and concentric with said turntable and driven with said turntable;a horizontally movable tone arm mounted adjacent said turntable andterminating in an enlarged sound chamber; a tone reproducer mounted onsaid tone arm adapted to move vertically andhorizontally; a control gearwheel having gear teeth rotatably mounted adjacent said turntable inmesh with said pinion and driven thereby; spaced apart gear members onsaid control gear wheel; releasable locking means for said control gearwheel; a'vertically movable frame member mounted above said reproducer;a link connection between said frame member and reproducer; andleverlmeans for vertically moving said member and reproducer comprisinga plurality of levers, a cam, a stud shaft and pinion thereon and meansactuable by said spaced apart gear members adapted to actuate said levermeans.

2. A time announcing apparatus comprising a housing; a motor, a recordcarrying turntable horizontally and rotatably mounted in said housingand driven by said motor; a pinion secured thereon and concentric withsaid turntable; a

control gear wheel having gear teeth rotatably mounted adjacent saidturntable and in mesh with said pinion; releasable locking means forsaid control gear wheel; and a pair of spaced apart gear segments onsaid gear wheel; a horizontally movable tone arm mounted adjacent saidturntable; a tone reproducer mounted on said tone arm; a rotatablymounted element adjacent said control gear wheel and intermittentlyengageable by said gear segments; a plurality' of levers fortransmitting the'intermittent movement of said rotatably mounted elementinto vertical movement, one of said levers being connected to said tonereproducer and another thereof being engaged by said rotatably mountedelement, said gear segments being adapted to intermittently engage saidrotatably mounted element to impart downward or upwardvertical movementto said reproducer.

3. A voice reproducing and announcing device comprising a housing; amotor, a record carrying turntable horizontally and rotatably mountedtherein and driven by said motor; a pinion secured thereon andconcentric with said turntable; a horizontally movable tone arm mountedadjacent said plate; a tone reproducer mounted on said tone arm adaptedto move vertically; a control gear wheel having gear teeth rotatablymounted adjacent said plate and in mesh with said pinion; releasablelocking means for said control gear wheel; lever means for verticallymoving said reproducer comprising a plurality of levers; a earn, a studshaft and pinion thereon;

' a pair of spaced apart gear segments on said control gear wheel, theforward of said gear segments being adapted to rotate said pinion tolower said frame member and reproducer to permit recorded voicereproduction, and the other of said segments being adapted to rotatesaid pinion in the opposite direction to cause said reproducer to beelevated; a perpendicular stud on said control gear wheel; and rotatablemeans mounted adjacent said tone arm adapted to be actuated atpredetermined intervals by said stud-to move said tone arm horizontallyto place the reproducer in starting position on a record.

4. A voice reproducing and announcing device comprising a housing, amotor, a record carrying turntable horizontally and rotatably mountedtherein and driven by said motor; a pinion as cured thereon. andconcentric with said iturntable; a horizontally movable tone arm mountedadjacent said turntable; a tone reproducer mounted on said tone armadapted to move vertically; j.

a control gear wheel having gear teeth rotatably mounted adjacent saidturntable and in mesh With said pinion; reieasable locking means forsaid control gear wheel, a perpendicular stud on' said control gearwheel adapted to be engaged by said releasable locking means to stopsaid control wheel and to be disengaged thereby to re lease said controlwheel for rotation; lever means for vertically moving said reproducercomprising a plurality of levers, a cam, a stud shaft and' pinionthereon; a pair of spaced apart gear segments on said control gearwheel, the forward of said gear segments being adapted to rotate saidpinion to lower said frame member and reproducer to permit recordedvoice reproduction, and

the other of said segments being adapted to rotate said pinion in theopposite direction to cause said reproducer to be elevated; and meansadapted to be intermittently actuated to move the tone arm andreproducer horizontally to starting position, said means comprisingapair of sprocket wheels and a chain, each of the links of said chainhaving an outwardly extending stud, and one or more of said links havinga second stud formed integral with the edge of such links, said secondstud being adapted to engage the tone arm once during each revolution ofsaid chain to return said tone arm to starting position.

5. An intermittent sound reproducing device' comprising a motor; acontrol switch for said motor; a record carrying turntable rotatably connected with said motor; a pinion concentric with said turntable andsecured thereto; a' control gear wheel rotatably mounted adjacent saidturn- I table'and in mesh with said pinion; a horizontally movable tonearm; a vertically movable sound reproducer thereon; a frame memberslidably' with said turntable and secured thereto; a con-' trol gearwheel rotatably mounted adjacent said.

turntable and in mesh with saidpinion; a horizontally movable tone arm;a vertically movable sound reproducer thereon; a frame member slidablymounted above said reproducer; a loose connector between said framemember and reproducer; spaced apart gear members on saidcontrol gearwheel; means actuable-by said gear members adapted to raise and lowersaid frame member and reproducer; a downwardly 'project-i ing stud onsaid control gear wheel; means rotatably mounted adjacent said tone armadaptedito be rotated a predetermined distance by said stud, and meanson said last mentioned means adapted to engage said tone arm at apredetermined posi-' tion to return said arm to starting position to re:peat the sound reproduction.

IVHCHAEL J. SULLIVAN. V

